£5m boost for Milngavie train station

The length of both platforms at the station are to be extended from 141m to 205m.

Up to 39m of unused platform will be reinstated and a new 25m added to improve efficiency by allowing trains more time between arrival and departure.

Work will be carried out over five months, mainly at night, with line closures only during weekends in late 
autumn

However, the rail firm added that 32 spaces within the 
station car park will be out of use for the duration of the project for the site compound.

Work will also require the repositioning of signalling and overhead line equipment to accommodate the new platform lengths.

According to Network Rail, adding additional length to the platforms is crucial to enable the “stabling” of trains and to allow some trains to have more time between arrival and departure.

Kevin McClelland of Network Rail, said: “The investment we are making is key to improving the resilience and reliability of a significant route on central Scotland’s railway and in doing so, will deliver improvements in the service we offer to passengers.

“This programme of activity will involve engineers working day and night. We appreciate the impact this may have at times on those living closest to the station and thank them for their patience.

“We will deliver the project as quickly and efficiently as possible and keep disruption to a minimum for both those who use the station and the nearby residents.”

The extended platforms will be commissioned in time for the December 2020 timetable change.

Milngavie MSP Gil Paterson has been advocating for improvements on the line with rail authorities for several years now.

He said: “This expansion of the platforms at Milngavie will be greatly welcomed by commuters across the constituency. It will make a huge difference to the service experienced by passengers by improving reliability and connectivity.

“It is essential we continue to improve the line from Milngavie, including re-twinning the line and adding an additional rail halt at Allander, as I have been very vocal about in recent years.”

Local Green MSP Ross Greer cautiously welcomed the news but added: “Investment to improve the line’s woeful performance is welcome but Network Rail need to explain exactly what improvements they think this will result in and how they expect the upgraded platforms to be used. I’m particularly concerned that extending the platforms to hold nine carriages could mean more use of crowded three-carriage trains at peak times, the opposite of what we need once we’re in the post-pandemic normal.

“As we’ve proven before, only redualling the track will address this problem, that’s why I negotiated hard to include progress towards in this year’s Scottish budget.”